Apple devices have made 891 appearances in TV shows in 2011, which is an increase from 613 appearances in 2009

Apple came, saw, and conquered many aspects of the tech world, but now, the Cupertino-based gadget maker is seeing its name in lights as it works to conquer Hollywood as well.

Product placement in television and film has become a big deal for companies with devices to show off. The reason for this is that consumers are using DVRs and video streaming services more and more. DVRs allow users to bypass commercials, and video services like Netflix do not have commercials. Without television commercials, it's harder for companies like Apple to advertise their latest products.

That's where television shows and movies come in. Product placement within the TV shows and movies have become an increasingly important avenue in advertisement. It's not a new form of advertising by any means, but over time, tech giant Apple has made it a crucial part of its ad technique without paying a penny.

According to Nielsen, a global marketing and advertising research company, Apple devices have made 891 appearances in TV shows in 2011, which is an increase from 613 appearances in 2009. Also, Brandchannel, which tracks product appearances, reported that Apple products popped up in over 40 percent of movies that struck gold in the weekly box office in 2011. This is huge compared to most brands.

While most companies have to pay to have their products featured in a TV show or film, Apple has managed to do so for free by simply offering as many free iPhones, iPads, and Macs as needed.

"Apple won't pay to have their products featured, but they are more than willing to hand out an endless amount of computers, iPads and iPhones," said Gavin Polone, producer of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. "It's kind of a graft situation."

Apple's product placement goes back to the 1990's when the PowerMac laptop made an appearance in Mission: Impossible. Now, the latest Mission:Impossible movie is featuring about eight minutes of Apple products like iPhones, iPads and Macs. The approximate value of this screen time is $23 million.

Apple has the right idea with TV and movie product placement. According to Ace Metrix, an ad tracking firm, test audiences recently gave an iCloud commercial a 15 percent less favorable rating than previous commercials. With traditional commercials on the decline, free advertisement on TV and in movies seems to be the way to go.